Johann Wagener 11-4-13
Americans abhor being thought of or seen as dependent. It goes directly against the grain of the "pick yourself up by your bootstraps crowd."
Still, be honest now. Don't you think these statistics on drug use in this independent "live free or die" bubble we live in we live in needs a closer look?
About half all American adults regularly use prescription drugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most commonly prescribed drugs tend to be antidepressants for middle-aged Americans and drugs used to treat high cholesterol for older Americans. In 2008, 20% of children and adolescents were reported to have taken prescription drugs within a 30-day period, with asthma medications being the most common for children and stimulants being the most common for adolescents.
More about drugs:
In 2008, about 36,000 Americans died from prescription drug overdoses, roughly the same number of deaths from car accidents.
More than 10% of Americans report having taken five or more prescription drugs within a 30-day period. Older Americans are the most likely to be taking five or more drugs per month, at about 40% of the age-group population.
Total spending on prescription drugs in the US was more than $230 billion US Dollars (USD) in 2008, an increase of 50% from 1999.
What's even more impressing is that some of the best drugs for pain and anxiety are illegal with long jail sentences attached if you get caught. It makes sense, right?
Legal drugs, even if not as good for you, are OK but heaven forbid you were to grow a pant in your windowsill or import some poppies. These drugs, if legalized are just way to cheap! There's no money in it unless it's criminalized. Not much lab equipment required. Just a planter or a farm field in some far off country.
The numbers here are from 2008 so I'd venture to guess that they gone up by maybe double? Around 1/2 $Trillion?
Tack on the billions generated buy the criminal justice system and the prison industrial complex and I'd say, hands down, we are a chemically dependent society.
Time for an "America Strong" parade.
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